What Is Moin Moin? The Nigerian Bean Pudding Explained
Moin moin is a Nigerian steamed pudding made from blended peeled beans. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Moin moin, also spelt moi moi, is a savoury Nigerian steamed pudding made from peeled beans that are blended with peppers, onions, oil and seasonings into a smooth batter, then steamed until set into a soft, moist, cake-like block. A beloved staple across Nigeria, it is often enriched with additions like boiled egg, fish, corned beef or crayfish, and it is eaten on its own or alongside rice, pap or bread. Made from the same bean base as akara, but steamed rather than fried, moin moin is nourishing, protein-rich and naturally plant based unless egg, fish or meat is added. In the UK the beans and other ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops.
What to remember
- Moin moin, also spelt moi moi, is a Nigerian steamed pudding made from blended peeled beans.
- The beans are blended with peppers, onions, oil and seasonings, then steamed until set.
- It is often enriched with boiled egg, fish, corned beef or crayfish.
- It shares its bean base with akara, but is steamed rather than fried, and is naturally plant based unless egg, fish or meat is added.
- The beans and other ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops in the UK.
For Nigerians in Britain, moin moin is a comforting, nostalgic taste of home. It is the soft bean pudding with a surprise of egg or fish inside, the side to a plate of jollof, the breakfast with pap, the party tray passed around at celebrations, the taste that says home. Making moin moin far from home brings back family kitchens and parties and Sunday breakfasts, the warmth of home in every soft, savoury slice.
There is real heart in it too, in a dish that turns humble beans into something nourishing and special, made with care and often for a crowd. It reflects a whole culture of resourceful, generous, protein-rich home cooking, and to steam a batch of moin moin is to keep that alive. Making it for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first slice with a surprise of egg inside, is a small act of welcome. That soft, savoury taste of home is the gift of moin moin.
What Moin Moin Actually Is
Moin moin, which you will also see written as moi moi, is one of Nigeria's best loved everyday foods, a savoury pudding made from beans. The beans, usually black-eyed beans or brown beans, are soaked and their skins removed, then blended with red peppers, onions, oil and seasonings into a smooth, thick batter. This batter is poured into containers or wraps and steamed until it sets into a soft, moist, slightly spongy block that can be sliced, rather like a savoury cake made of beans.
Moin moin is nourishing and high in protein, and it is endlessly versatile: the basic bean batter is often enriched with additions such as chopped boiled egg, flaked fish, corned beef, prawns or ground crayfish, which are folded in or layered so you find them through the pudding. It shares its bean base with akara, the fried bean cake, the difference being that moin moin is steamed while akara is deep fried. Moin moin belongs to the world of Nigerian cooking we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, and it is a close cousin of akara and of other bean dishes like ewa agoyin.
How Moin Moin Is Made and Eaten
Making moin moin begins with the beans, which are soaked so their skins can be peeled off, an important step for the smooth texture, and then blended with red bell peppers, scotch bonnet or other chilli, onions, and often a little oil, into a smooth batter. This is seasoned with stock, salt and spices, and any additions like egg, fish, crayfish or corned beef are mixed in. The batter is then spooned into moulds, traditionally leaves such as uma or moin moin leaves, which add aroma, or into foil, tins, cups or bowls.
The filled moulds are steamed, in a pot with a little water, until the batter sets firm and cooked through, which takes a while, and the moin moin is then turned out and served warm or cool, sliced into portions. It is eaten in many ways: on its own as a snack or light meal, as a side with jollof or fried rice, with pap or custard for breakfast, or with bread. Because versions often contain egg, fish or crayfish, those with allergies should check what is in a particular moin moin. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Soft, savoury and protein-rich, moin moin is a treasured Nigerian staple.
Moin Moin in Nigerian Food Culture
Moin moin holds a warm, everyday place in Nigerian food culture, loved as a snack, a side and a party favourite alike. It appears at breakfast with pap, as a side at lunch and dinner, and it is a fixture at celebrations, parties and gatherings, where trays of it are made and served alongside jollof rice and other favourites. As a nourishing, protein-rich food made from humble beans, it is both everyday sustenance and a dish people are proud to serve to guests.
Every cook has their own moin moin, smoother or firmer, plain or richly filled with egg and fish, wrapped in leaves or set in tins, but the steamed, seasoned bean pudding is always at its heart. For Nigerians, moin moin is a comforting, nostalgic taste of home and of family kitchens, and for anyone exploring Nigerian food it is a wholesome, delicious dish to try, and a naturally plant based one when made without egg, fish or meat. This article is general food and cultural information. Soft and savoury, moin moin is a treasured Nigerian classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making moin moin at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. African and Caribbean food shops sell the black-eyed or brown beans it is made from, sometimes even pre-peeled or as a ready bean flour to save the peeling, along with the red peppers, scotch bonnet, palm or vegetable oil, ground crayfish and seasonings for the batter, and moin moin leaves if you want the traditional wrap. Any additions like eggs, fish or corned beef are easy to find too.
If you want to make moin moin, an African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the beans, or bean flour, peppers, crayfish and moin moin leaves you need. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Soft, savoury and nourishing, moin moin brings a wholesome taste of Nigeria to your table, lovely as a snack, a side or a party dish.
Frequently asked questions
What is moin moin?
Moin moin, also spelt moi moi, is a savoury Nigerian steamed pudding made from peeled beans blended with peppers, onions, oil and seasonings into a smooth batter, then steamed until set into a soft, moist, cake-like block. It is often enriched with boiled egg, fish, corned beef or crayfish, and eaten on its own or with rice, pap or bread. It is nourishing and protein-rich.
What is the difference between moin moin and akara?
Both are made from the same base of blended peeled beans, peppers and onions, but they are cooked differently. Moin moin is steamed, setting into a soft, moist pudding, while akara is deep fried into crisp, fluffy bean cakes or fritters. So they share a batter but differ in method and texture, moin moin being soft and steamed and akara being crisp and fried.
What is moin moin made of?
Moin moin is made from peeled beans, usually black-eyed beans or brown beans, blended with red peppers, chilli such as scotch bonnet, onions, oil and seasonings into a smooth batter. It is often enriched with additions like boiled egg, flaked fish, ground crayfish, prawns or corned beef. The batter is steamed in leaves, foil or containers until it sets.
Is moin moin healthy?
Moin moin is made from beans, so it is naturally high in protein and fibre, and because it is steamed rather than fried it is a wholesome way to enjoy the bean base. How well it suits a particular person depends on their own needs and what is added to it. Made without egg, fish or meat it is also plant based. This is general food information rather than dietary advice.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Black-eyed or brown beans, sometimes pre-peeled or as bean flour, along with red peppers, scotch bonnet, oil, crayfish, seasonings and moin moin leaves, are sold by African and Caribbean food shops. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the beans or bean flour and other ingredients that moin moin needs.